[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 226 (Monday, November 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82896-82897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26085]



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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[60Day-24-0931; Docket No. CDC-2023-0094]


Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part 
of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the 
utility of government information, invites the general public and other 
federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or 
continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed 
information collection project titled Blood Lead Surveillance System 
(BLSS). The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) is leading 
a three-year Extension for two CDC information collections, one for 
childhood blood lead surveillance by NCEH and another for adult blood 
lead surveillance by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health (NIOSH).

DATES: CDC must receive written comments on or before January 26, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CDC-2023-
0094 by either of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection Review 
Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road 
NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and Docket Number. CDC will post, without change, all relevant comments 
to www.regulations.gov.
    Please note: Submit all comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
portal (www.regulations.gov) or by U.S. mail to the address listed 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the information collection plan 
and instruments, contact Jeffrey M. Zirger, Information Collection 
Review Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton 
Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30329; Telephone: 404-639-7570; 
Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ec83818eac8f888fc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e31333c1e3d3a3d70393128">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. In addition, the PRA also requires 
federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each new 
proposed collection, each proposed extension of existing collection of 
information, and each reinstatement of previously approved information 
collection before submitting the collection to the OMB for approval. To 
comply with this requirement, we are publishing this notice of a 
proposed data collection as described below.
    The OMB is particularly interested in comments that will help:
    1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses; and
    5. Assess information collection costs.

Proposed Project

    Blood Lead Surveillance System (BLSS) (OMB Control No. 0920-0931, 
Exp. 7/31/2024)--Extension--National Center for Environmental Health 
(NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Background and Brief Description

    This is a request for a three-year extension for an existing 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) clearance titled ``Blood Lead 
Surveillance System (BLSS)'' (OMB Control No. 0920-0931; Exp. 7/31/
2024). The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) is leading 
this Information Collection Request (ICR) for two Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) collections, one for childhood blood lead 
surveillance by NCEH and another for adult blood lead surveillance by 
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
    The goal of the NCEH Childhood Blood Lead Surveillance (CBLS) 
Program is to support blood lead screening and to promote primary 
prevention of exposure to lead. Also, the CBLS Program supports 
secondary prevention of adverse health effects when lead exposures 
occur in children, through improved program management and oversight in 
respondent jurisdictions. The goal of the NIOSH Adult Blood Lead 
Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) Program is to build state 
capacity for adult blood lead surveillance programs to measure trends 
in adult blood lead levels and to prevent lead over-exposures.
    NCEH has a five-year cooperative agreement, titled ``Childhood Lead 
Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance of Blood Lead Levels in 
Children'' (Funding Opportunity Announcement [FOA] No. CDC-RFA-EH21-
2102). The first two years of this ICR will extend from FY24, through 
FY26, and thus will be covered for two-thirds of the ICR's three-year 
approval period, while funding for the third year of this ICR will be 
determined in the future. Data submission is voluntary and completed 
through data sharing agreements with state agencies or their bona fide 
agents.
    Blood lead surveillance over the human lifespan is covered under 
this single ICR, specifically for children younger than 16 years 
through CBLS at NCEH, and for adults 16 years and older, through ABLES 
at NIOSH. Over the past several decades there have been substantial 
efforts in environmental lead abatement, improved protection from 
occupational lead exposure, and a reduction in the prevalence of 
population blood lead levels (BLLs) over time. The U.S. population BLLs 
have substantially decreased over the last four decades. For example, 
the CDC has reported the 1976-1980 U.S. mean BLL in children six months 
to five years was 16.0 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL), and 14.1 mcg/
dL among adults 18 to 74 years. More recently, the CDC reported the 
2009-2010 U.S. BLL geometric means among children ages one to five 
years and among adults 20 years and older as 1.2 mcg/dL for both age 
groups. In 2012, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that 
there is sufficient evidence that even BLLs less than 5.0 mcg/dL are 
associated with adverse health effects in both children and adults. 
Despite the reduction in the

[[Page 82897]]

overall population BLL over four decades, lead exposures continue to 
occur at unacceptable levels for individuals in communities and 
workplaces across the nation. Surveillance will continue through CBLS 
and ABLES to identify individuals with BLLs greater than most children 
who may need follow-up. Surveillance can also help prioritize 
communities for primary prevention of lead exposure and expanding blood 
lead testing. As of October 2021, NCEH defines its Blood Lead Reference 
Value (BLRV) for children at 3.5 mcg/dL. NIOSH defines an elevated BLLs 
as greater than or equal to 5.0 mcg/dL for adults.
    Respondents are defined as state, local, and territorial health 
departments with lead poisoning prevention programs. The estimated 
annual time burden for NCEH CBLS is 1,058 hours. The estimated annual 
time burden for NIOSH ABLES is 280 hours. In total, CDC is requesting 
approval for a total annual time burden of 1,338 hours. There is no 
cost to respondents other than their time to participate.

                                        Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       Number of     Average burden     Total
       Type of respondents             Form name        Number of    responses per    per response    burden (in
                                                       respondents    respondent       (in hours)       hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State, Local and Territorial      CBLS Variables                66               4                4        1,056
 Health Departments, or their      (ASCII Text Files).           1               1                2            2
 Bona Fide Agents.                CBLS Aggregate
                                   Records Form
                                   (Excel).
                                  ABLES Case Records            32               1                8          256
                                   Form and Brief
                                   Narrative Report.
                                  ABLES Aggregate                8               1                3           24
                                   Records Form and
                                   Brief Narrative
                                   Report.
                                                      ----------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................  ...................  ...........  ..............  ...............        1,338
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Jeffrey M. Zirger,
Lead, Information Collection Review Office, Office of Public Health 
Ethics and Regulations, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2023-26085 Filed 11-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P


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